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WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- Every year, Mary Matthews, of Winston-Salem, buys a small rosemary tree to put on her husband's grave on the anniversary of his death on Dec. 5. Each year Mary buys that tree at the Whole Foods Market in Winston-Salem. This year, Mary went to the store but they only had large rosemary trees.

"I said well I'm just disappointed I didn't get my little tree but I'm making due with this one," Mary recounted to us at her home a few days later.

When Mary got up to the register, the cashier had apparently heard her explaining the situation to a friend in line behind her.

"She said, 'We're giving you the tree,' and I said, 'Why?' And she said, 'Well, because we didn't have what you wanted and I'm sorry for your loss,'" Mary said.

"I was just blown away and I think a couple people in line were all hearing it and we were all just kind of astounded. So I thanked her and I got out to my car and I just burst into tears when I got in the car," she continued.

Mary decided she would post about the experience on her neighborhood Facebook page. "Sometimes on our Ardmore Neighborhood Facebook things get kind of nasty," she said.

Now the post has more than 400 likes and Mary is astounded.

"We share the tragedy, we share the ugliness, but we don't share the goodness in people and then sometimes when all you hear are negatives you think there is nothing good happening," she said.